HIRAM, Ohio - January 27, 2024 – The Terriers men's volleyball team hosted the Hiram Tri-Match on Saturday, which featured three games between Hiram, Saint Vincent and Adrian.

Hiram finished 1-1 on the day, beating Saint Vincent in three sets before falling to Adrian in a five-set thriller. The team is now 5-2 this season, with conference play opening next week.

Kyle Martini and Garrett Scheidegger were named to the All-Tournament Team, while Adrian's Chase Heuer won MVP.

Hiram beats Saint Vincent: 25-20, 25-22, 25-21

The first game of the day was neck-and-neck in the first set, as both teams could not seem to find an advantage over the other, with the biggest lead standing at 3 until Hiram took control late. A 5-2 run to end the set gave the Terriers a 1-0 lead in the match.

Hiram continued to apply pressure for the rest of the match despite the close margin in each set. The team's strong core of upperclassmen was the difference, notably helping the team bounce back from a 5-point deficit in the third set to seal the straight-set victory.

Juniors Jackson Deubner (12), Kyle Martini (12) and Connor Tilton (10) all had strong outings with double-digit totals in kills. Junior Matthew Albano was a big help in the assist category (41), as he went on to set up each student-athlete on the floor; junior Garrett Scheidegger was fierce on the defensive side of the ball, with 3 blocks to finish the match. 

The Bearcats could not seem to find their footing in the match, but saw a big contribution from Zebadiah Wyant, who ended the match with 12 kills and Shawn McSwiggen with 11 kills. 

Adrian beats Hiram: 25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 23-25, 15-13

Hiram displayed a great deal of resilience in the final match, erasing a two-set deficit and coming within two points of beating a talented opponent. At one point, the Terriers trailed 2 sets to 1 and were sunk in a 7-2 hole in the fourth set – the team eventually battled back in the most entertaining game of the afternoon.

The Terriers would grab a 15-13 lead in that fourth set, piecing together a 13-6 run to put them within striking distance of forcing a decisive fifth set. A pair of 3-0 runs in the middle and end of the set made that vision a reality, as Hiram now needed one more set to extend its winning streak to six games.

Adrian would come through, as it never trailed by more than 1 point in the fifth set and finished the back-and-forth affair on a 5-2 run. Chase Heuer, the tournament's MVP, delivered the decisive blow on a kill.

Hiram again showcased its balance; Martini (12), Scheidegger (8) and Tilton (7) all filled the stat sheet in kills, while Albano finished the Hiram Tri-Match with 75 assists after adding another 34 assists in the second game. Deubner had 10 digs in the match, too.

What's Next

Hiram will open conference play next Saturday, when it travels to Cresson, PA for a matchup with Mount Aloysius at 1 p.m.